Drying-machine.



H0 MODEL L. G. LAPRADE.

DRYING MACHINE.

APLIGATION FILED APR. 9. 1903.

PATENTED SBPT. 22, 1903 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A TTOHNE rs.

PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903.

- L.*G. LAPRADE.

I DRYING MACHINE.

unmumn FILED APR; 9. 1903. no MODEL. 2 's'ans-rs-sxxm 2.

WITNESSES" INVENTOH Zeb/2 Gag/in ured?" A Tram/E rs.

rm: mg."- Prrrns cc, mow UYHO, wxwuzmm lay a Patented September 22, 1903.

,- PATENT OFFICE.

LEON GAY LAPRADE, OF SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA.

DRYING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,688, dated September 22, 1903.

Application and April 9, 1903. seal No. 151,766. on model.) 1

adapted for drying cacao-beans; and the purpose of the invention is to so construct the machine that it will be simple, durable, and

economic, and whereby the cacao-beans will be constantly and slowly stirred without injury to them inthe presence of a continual supply or constantly-maintained storage of heated air,and also to provide a means whereby the dried beans may be quickly and con veniently discharged from the machine without removing the receptacle in which they were treated.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference inditical section through the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine,

and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the basket adapt;

ed to receive the beans and in which the beans are dried.

The frame A of the machine may be of any desired type; but as illustrated it consists of corner-standards 10, which are inclined upwardly and inwardly and are connected near their lower portions by beams 11 and at their upper ends support a skeleton horizontal structure comprising parallel side beams 12 and parallel end beams 13, properly connected. This skeleton n pper structure above referred to is adapted to support a tank or receptacle B, which is preferably made of metal and is semicircular in cross-section and inclines from its ends downward in direction of its center at its lower portion, and at the lowest part of the lower portion of the said tank B an outlet 19 is provided, from which material may be discharged into Fig. 2 is a transverse ver- 1 any-receptacle placed beneath the said outlet. Preferably the said tank or receptacle B is held in position by forming a horizontal narginal flange at its upper edge, which flange extends'over the skeleton upper structure supported by the standards or uprights .10, and the said marginal flange of the tank or receptacle B is permanently attached to the said upper structure by means of nails, screws, or like fastening devices.

v An opening 15 is made at each end of the tank or receptacle B,and from these openings 15 pipes 16 are carried, preferably horizontally, outward in direction of one side of the device and are connected by a pipe 17, from which a branch 18 extends, and this branch 18 is adapted for connection with any source of hot-air supply, so that hot air will be constantly supplied to the tank B while the machine is in operation; but instead of constantly supplying hot air to the tank B said tank may be filledwith-hot air and its inlets and outlets closed, the tank being refilled when the prior charge becomes cold.

A basket 0 is employed to receive the beans to be dried. This basket is fitted into-the said tank or receptacle B at its upper portion, but does not extend to the bottom of the said receptacle or tank, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This basket is made of wood and consists of end pieces 20, connected at their upper portions by side bars 21, together with series of slats 22, extending from one side piece to the other, suitable spaces being provided between the slats, so that the hot air in the tank or receptacle B may have ready access to the basket and act upon its contents. This basket is of semicircular construction, and at each side of its lower central portion connectingbars 24 are located, extending from one side piece 20 to the other, and in the innerfaces of these connecting-bars 24 grooves are produced adapted to receive tongues which are formed on the side edges of slides 25,and when these slides are brought together at the central portion of the'said basket the contents of the basket will be retained therein; but when the slides are drawn outward the contents of the basket will fall into i the receptacle or tank B and find an exit therefrom through the bottom outlet 19 for the said tank or receptacle. It will be unclearly shown in Fig. 2.

derstood that suitable openings 25 are made in the ends of the tank or receptacle B, through which the slides 25 may pass, as is best shown in Fig. 3.

The basket 0 is removably placed in the machine and is held in position preferably by by means of projections 26, located at its upper edge and extending over and in connection with the upper flange of the receptacle or tank B. This basket is preferably provided also with a central partition 20, and on this partition and at the ends of the said basket bearings 27 are formed, in which a shaft 28 is mounted to turn. The said shaft is given an exceedingly slow movement, the movement of the shaft being usually such that it will make six revolutions in an hour. This shaft is provided With a series of curved stirrer blades or fingers 29, and these bladesor fingers 29 are in spiral arrangement onthe said shaft 28. The arrangement of the stirrer or agitating fingers on the said shaft 28 is such that when the fingers in one compartment of the basket are within the said basket the fingers in the other compartment will be above the said basket, or practically so, as is illustrated in Fig. 2. The arrangement of the stirrer fingers or blades 29 is also such that when one blade is about to enter the basket an opposing blade will be in the act of leaving it and more or less of the blades will be within the basket acting upon the material therein. These stirrer blades or fingers 29 in addition to being curved, as illustrated, are also preferably more or less triangular in cross-section, their pointed or contracted portions being their inner portions, as is best shown in Fig. 3.

In the operation of the machine the outer terminal portions of the said stirrer or agitating fingers or blades pass in close proximity to the bottom portion of the basket 0, as is The basket 0 is not made of metal, because in the proper drying of cacao no metal should ever come in contact with the beans while they are fresh, since the said beans are very acid and such contact would turn them black or dark at once. Furthermore, cacao must be kept in motion while fresh and during the drying process; otherwise the beans would stick one to the other and form a solid mass. It is a further fact that the skin of the beans is very tender. Consequently any stirring device that may be employed for the purpose of agitating the beans during the drying process should be so constructed as not to act harmfully upon the skins.

Having thus described my invention, I

said fingers will closely approach the slatted portion thereof, for the purpose specified.

2. In a drying-machine, a tank segmental in cross-section and of greatest diameter at its center, having an open top and a central bottom outlet, a support for the .tank, a basket removably fitted to the upper open portion of the tank, the bottom and sides of which basket are constructed of spaced slats, slides at the bottom central portion of the basket, having movement to and fromeach other, a shaft mounted to revolve at the upper portion of the basket, curved stirrer-fingers spirally arranged upon the said shaft, and means for circulating hot air through the tank, as described.

3. A drying-machine for cacao, comprising a tank inclined from its ends downward in direction of its center and provided with an outlet at its bottom central portion, a support for the said tank, a basket removably located within the upper portion of the tank, the bottom of which basket consists of a. series of slats, and slides operable to and from each other at the lower central portion of the bottom of the basket, a shaft journaled in bearings upon the basket,a central partition forthe basket over which the said shaft passes, and curved stirrer fingers or blades secured in spiral arrangement upon the said shaft, the said fingers being triangular in cross-section and the arrangement of the fingers being such that when the fingers in onecompartm'ent are within the basket the fingers in the other compartment will be above the same to a greater or less extent,and whereby when a finger enters the basket an opposing finger will leave the same, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEON GAY LAPRADE.

Witnesses:

H. VITTIER, OHAs. S. CALDWELL. 

